Ancient Tombs and Mysterious Shrine to Hercules Unearthed in Eastern Rome—What Secrets Lie Beneath?

Ever wonder what secrets lurk just a stone’s throw from the boisterous heart of Rome? Turns out, the Parco delle Acacie in the Pietralata district isn’t just your average green space—it’s a treasure trove of Roman Republic relics dating back to the 5th century B.C.E., bustling with history until the 3rd century C.E. Imagine stumbling upon an ancient shrine possibly dedicated to Hercules, tombs with stories carved in volcanic tuff, monumental pools whose purposes still tease archaeologists, and a road that once echoed with the footsteps of Romans long gone. This site isn’t just a dusty page in a history book; it’s a vivid puzzle waiting to be pieced together, revealing that Rome’s legacy sprawls far beyond its famous center. So, if you think you know Rome, think again—because the suburbs have their own epic tales waiting to astonish us. LEARN MORE

Found in the Pietralata district’s Parco delle Acacie, this site was continuously developed and occupied from the 5th century B.C.E. to the 3rd century C.E.

Italian Ministry of CultureOne of the elite tombs discovered at the archaeological site in Parco delle Acacie.

The center of Rome is known for its rich historical sites, from the Colosseum to the Forum. But during excavations in the eastern edge of the city, archaeologists uncovered an incredible set of ruins from the Roman Republic period — including a shrine, tombs, pools, and an ancient road. These new discoveries promise to add illuminating new detail to the history of the Roman Republic.

The Roman Tombs And Shrine To Hercules Found At Parco Delle Acacie In Eastern Rome

Special Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape of RomeSome of the ruins that have been uncovered at the Parco delle Acacie since excavations at the site began in 2022.

According to a statement from the Italian Ministry of Culture, these ruins were discovered during a preventative excavation project at the Parco delle Acacie in the Pietralata district on the eastern side of Rome, in preparation for a development project. During the excavations, which began in 2022, archaeologists uncovered the ruins of an area covering about two-and-a-half acres that was occupied from the 5th or 4th century B.C.E until the 1st century C.E., and then periodically during the 2nd and 3rd centuries C.E.

One of the most compelling discoveries at the site is the ruins of a shrine, which archaeologists suspect was once connected to the cult of Hercules. Set close to an ancient road, the shrine is a small quadrangular building, roughly 15 feet by 18 feet. In the center of the building, aligned with its entrance, archaeologists found a small white-plastered tuff (a kind of volcanic rock) that was likely once used as an altar.

At the back of the building, archaeologists also found what appears to be the base of a cult statue, and further excavation of the building revealed that it was built over a votive deposit. Here, archaeologists found terracotta heads, feet, and female figurines, as well as two terracotta cattle. Ancient bronze coins found nearby furthermore suggest that the Hercules shrine was constructed between the late 3rd and 2nd centuries B.C.E.

Special Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape of RomeA terracotta figurine’s head that was found at the site of the Roman ruins in Pietralata.

Nearby, archaeologists also uncovered two impressive tombs. Dating to the 4th or 3rd century B.C.E., the two chamber tombs were carved into the tuff slope which descends down from the nearby Via di Pietralata.

The first has a “monumental entrance” with a stone portal. Within the tomb, archaeologists found a sarcophagus and three urns, as well as two vases, two black-glazed cups, a ceramic jug, and a mirror.

The other tomb, which was built slightly later, has benches on either side, and contains the remains of a man who seemingly underwent surgical trepanation.

And that’s not all that archaeologists found at the site.

The Enormous Pools And Ancient Road Also Uncovered In Pietralata

In addition to the Hercules shrine and the two Republic-era tombs, archaeologists also uncovered the remains of an ancient road and two monumental pools. The road, constructed in the mid-Republican period (around the 3rd century B.C.E.) was seemingly used up until around the dawn of the Roman Empire, in the first century C.E. By the 2nd and 3rd centuries C.E., at least 200 years before Rome fell, the road had begun to fall out of use.

The two pools, meanwhile, were seemingly built in the second century B.C.E. Archaeologists aren’t entirely certain what the pools were used for, however. They’ve speculated that they served a religious purpose, or were perhaps used “for some type of productive activity.”

Italian Ministry of CultureOne of the two large pools that were found amid the ruins, and which may have played a religious role of some kind.

Though questions about the site remain, archaeologists are thrilled with the discovery. It proves that Rome’s ruins can be found far beyond the center of the city, and that there’s still much left to discover in its outlying regions.